Wednesday: a few days of westerlies and then the biggest, baddest heat wave ever.

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Gorge Wind Forecast

Westerlies stick around in some form or another through at least Friday morning before a giant, record-breaking heat wave slams into the Northwest. Light easterlies and very hot weather are on tap for the weekend. A likely scenario for the early part of next week is decreasing heat for Portland and very strong westerlies for a few days in the Gorge.

Wednesday starts off clear for the Gorge with areas of marine clouds on the weest side of the Cascades. This gives the desert a jump on the heating. Offshore high pressure lends a hand too. Gradients of 0.11 and 0.07 indicate that you can have your pick of launch sites today. Early wind will be 20-23 from Viento to Swell with Mosier and Maryhill likely in on that as well. Stevenson starts at 15-18, and the eastern Gorge begins the day at 5-10. A quick build to 23-26 is forecast from Stevenson to Rufus with a bit of lag time for Stevenson and the Rowena stretch. Afternoon wind holds at the 23-26 range from Stevenson to Rufus (maybe a bit more there) with Swell likely to drop into the teens, as is usual there. River flow is a minuscule 133kcfs, river temp is 63F, and high temp forecast is a pleasant 84F.

Westerlies continue on Thursday, and the river will feel extra good thanks to muggy weather. Early morning wind will be 17-20 from Viento to Mosier with 7-10 to the east and west. By late morning, westerlies build to 21-24 from Stevenson to The Dalles. You’ll have to wait until the afternoon if you’d like to go east, but you’ll get your chance. The western Gorge dips to gusty 13-16 mid afternoon, and the Lyle to Arlington stretch builds to gusty 24-27. high temp: 87F.

Heat really settles in on Friday. By afternoon, it crushes the westerlies. Dawn Patrol wind will be 15-18 from Viento to Hood River with 7-10 to the east and west. By late morning, the wind turns easterly east of Mosier. Western Gorge wind fades away as the day goes on; by early afternoon, there will be just 5-10 or less. High temp: 97F. Weekend: 100+ and easterlies that max out at 10-15 or so near Stevenson and Rooster. It appears that westerlies will return on Monday, but temps will still be 100+.  

Coast, Jones, Sauvie’s

Coast (north/central/south, waves. Wind direction north unless otherwise noted. Swell forecast from NWS.) Wednesday: NW5-10/NW10-15/N15-20, W swell 4′ at 9 seconds. Thursday: NNW15-20/N20-25/N25-35, W 2′ @ 10. Friday: 10-15/10-15/25-35, W 2′ @ 11. Jones Wednesday: 17-20. Thursday: 17-20. Friday: 9-12. Sauvie’s Wednesday: 10-13. Thursday: 12-15. Friday: 12-15.  

Mt. Hood Weather forecast

On vacation unless some wintry weather happens.  

Hood River Weather Forecast

Clear sky stays mostly clear Wednesday. Temps will be in the low 60’s (open windows!) early and mid 80’s later. Moderate westerlies. No rainbows. Thursday will be partly high overcast. Temps will be near 60 early and in the upper 80’s later. Muggy. Moderate westerlies. No rainbows. Friday will be clear and hot. Temps will be in the low 60’s early (open all the windows and doors!) and upper 90’s later (lock everything down and turn on the AC). Moderate westerlies in the morning become light in the afternoon. No rainbows. The next three days look 100+.

Looking for a complete Columbia Gorge forecast? Looking for more humor in your weather? Obscenities? You’re looking for my TATAS: Temira’s Awesome Travel Advisory Service on Facebook.  

Cycling

Trail guesses: Whoopdee, dry; Post,, mixed; 44 Road, good. Falls Creek: good. From the 44trails.org website… Open trails: Eightmile, Fifteenmile, Bottle Prairie, Dog River, Superconnector, Cedar, Knebal, Cooks (to 1.5 miles above the 4410 road), 450 to the junction with 15 mile, Underhill. Upper 450: patches of snow and 10 trees down.

Maple Road in Post Canyon is closed. DO NOT drive past the closed signs. If you do so, you will jeopardize TRAIL access for the entire summer. This is the road that runs to the west, just north of the Binns/Riorden intersection. Also, the trail from the bottom of Post Canyon to Seven Streams Staging Area is now closed. It’s on private land. Respect the closure. Surveyor’s Ridge: clear of snow and trees. Other 44 Road Trails: clearing in progress. Cows are out on Hospital Hill. No parking at the corral. No dogs on the trails. No exceptions. Please respect the wishes of the landowners – they let us use their land, and in return, we respect their rules! New Whoopdee: open.  

Local Events

Friday is “Pride in the Park” at the Hood River Waterfront Park. That’s a celebration of all people and stuff LGBTQPKIA+. The Strawberry Fields Ultramarathon is in Stevenson (?) on Saturday and Sunday.

Mountain View Cycles women’s ride is every Thursday, bottom of Post at 5:30pm. They have an all-genders ride at 6pm on Wednesday, end of the pavement on Post Canyon Road. Their shop road ride leaves at 9am on Saturday for a 2 hour ride. Dirty Fingers has the Post n’ Pint on Thursday evenings at 5:30pm from the shop. They also have the women’s Post n’ Pinot Wednesday evening at 5:30pm from the shop. Oregon E-Bikes has ladies’ rides at 7:30am Sunday and Monday. The Small Boat Group does paddles every Thursday evening at 6pm. Hatch laps are the latest thing they do.

Other weekly events. Tuesday night there’s meditation with the Pacific Hermitage Monks at 5:15 (1 hour) and 6:30 (30 minutes followed by a talk) at Yoga Samadhi in White Salmon. Triathlon practice with the Tri Club is Tuesday at 6pm at West Mayer State Park. Sailboat races happen Wednesday night from the Hood River Marina.  

Sprinter Van of the Week!

  Click here for the Sprinter Van map of the world!!!   Have an awesome day!